Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape is a multi-artist tribute album released in March 2024. The album is a tribute to country music singer Joe Diffie, who died in 2020, and incorporates previously unreleased recordings he made in 2006.
| Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Mixtape by various artists | ||||
| Released | March 29, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 58:21 | |||
| Label | Big Loud | |||
| Producer |
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| Hixtape chronology | ||||
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History
editSinger Hardy announced in early 2024 that he would be releasing the third installment of his Hixtape series, a series of mixtapes featuring various collaborators. The album includes Hardy and various other musicians, primarily from within country music, participating in covers of Joe Diffie songs. The recordings incorporate previously unreleased vocal tracks which Diffie recorded in 2006. Also included is a previously unreleased Joe Diffie song, "Life Had Plans for Me", featuring Diffie's son Parker. The album's rendition of "Ships That Don't Come In" features Toby Keith and was his last studio recording before his death from stomach cancer in February 2024.[1] Other members of Diffie's family, credited as "the Difftones", provide backing vocals on "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)".[1]
Prior to the album's release, two tracks were released in November 2023 as a "small batch". These were renditions of "John Deere Green" featuring Hardy and Morgan Wallen, and "Pickup Man" featuring Post Malone.[1] Post Malone, Hardy, and Wallen also performed "Pickup Man" at the 57th annual Country Music Association awards ceremony that same month.[2] The rendition of "Pickup Man" was released as the project's first single. The song marked Post Malone's first entry on the Billboard Country Airplay charts.[3]
Critical reception
editJames Daykin of Entertainment Focus called the album "a heartfelt and nostalgic homage to Joe Diffie, showcasing the timeless appeal of his music and the enduring influence he continues to have on the country genre."[4] Country Central writer Cam Greene gave the album 9 out of 10, praising most of the tracks for retaining the neotraditional country sound of the 1990s, but criticizing the "rough" nature of Hardy's and Post Malone's respective vocals on "John Deere Green" and "Pickup Man".[5]
Track listing
editNote: All tracks feature Joe Diffie.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Featured artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "John Deere Green" | Dennis Linde | 4:27 | |
| 2. | "Pickup Man" |
| Post Malone | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Ships That Don't Come In" |
| 3:44 | |
| 4. | "Third Rock from the Sun" |
| 2:50 | |
| 5. | "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)" |
|
| 3:48 |
| 6. | "Bigger Than the Beatles" |
| 3:57 | |
| 7. | "Honky Tonk Attitude" |
| 3:27 | |
| 8. | "Is It Cold in Here" |
| 3:50 | |
| 9. | "Texas Size Heartache" |
| 2:41 | |
| 10. | "Home" |
| 3:23 | |
| 11. | "C-O-U-N-T-R-Y" |
| 2:36 | |
| 12. | "So Help Me Girl" |
| 3:30 | |
| 13. | "New Way (To Light Up an Old Flame)" |
|
| 2:46 |
| 14. | "If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)" |
| 2:47 | |
| 15. | "A Night to Remember" |
|
| 3:29 |
| 16. | "In Another World" | Chris Young | 3:42 | |
| 17. | "Life Had Plans for Me" |
|
| 3:50 |
| Total length: | 58:21 | |||
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] | 41 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Lorie Hollabaugh (March 29, 2024). "'Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape' Reimagines Joe Diffie Classics With Special Collaborations". MusicRow. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ Jessica Nicholson (November 8, 2023). "Morgan Wallen, Post Malone & HARDY Join Forces in Tribute to Joe Diffie During 2023 CMA Awards". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ Xander Zellner (November 14, 2023). "Post Malone Secures His First Hit on Country Airplay Chart With 'Pickup Man'". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ James Daykin (March 29, 2024). "HARDY's 'HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE' is an ode to an iconic artist & a celebration of 90s joy". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ Cam Greene (April 9, 2024). "HIXTAPE, "Vol 3: DIFFTAPE" – Album Review". Country Central. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Top Country Albums". Billboard. April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.